Psychosocial vulnerability and HIV/AIDS epidemiological situation among people with hearing disabilities in four towns in Cameroon.

The scientific literature about disabled people has stressed their high exposure to social exclusion and marginalization, linked to ways of thinking and representations about them. In the area of HIV/AIDS, this marginalization, which results in higher levels of self-stigmatization and especially in inequalities in prevention, continues to put disabled people at high risk of HIV infection. The current study, conducted with a socioepidemiological and behavioral approach, included 317 people with hearing disabilities, recruited through purposive sampling combined with a snowball approach. Participants, after providing informed consent in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki, completed a questionnaire and underwent HIV screening. The results showed a high rate of early sexual intercourse and a high prevalence of HIV, associated with their many risk factors and vulnerability. The analysis also revealed that social marginalization, erroneous beliefs, lack of communication and more generally of appropriate prevention adapted to them, a high rate of multiple partners, a low rate of condom use, psychosexual violence, and difficulties in negotiating social relations, particularly those of sexual relations, are the principal factors of vulnerability and risk.

[Perception of the Central Hospital by the urban population of Yaoundé: quantitative and qualitative methods]. / Perception de i'Hôpital central par la population de la ville de Yaoundé: approches quantitative et qualitative.

Two studies, using different methods, were used to assess the opinions of the local population on Yaounde Central Hospital (YCH), the changes made as part of a restructuring program and use of health care facilities. The study population comprised YCH patients and the urban population of Yaounde as a whole. One study used personal interviews, according to standard epidemiological survey methods (1,267 inhabitants). The other used focus group discussions involving 8 to 12 people each (10 groups). There was no significant difference in the results recorded by these two methods. Focus group discussions are cheaper and easier to implement and are thus valuable for use alone or prior to more extensive studies using questionnaires. Classic epidemiological survey methods produce results which are reproducible and suitable for statistical analysis, and will make it possible to follow the progress of the new working policies of the YCH.

[Perception of lepers by non-lepers in an urban center in Cameroon]. / Perception des lépreux par les non-lépreux dans un centre urbain du Cameroun.

We investigated the knowledge and perceptions the general population have about leprosy in a sociological study between 1994 and 1995 in the city of Yaounde (Cameroon). The sample consisted of 251 respondents aged between 15 and 73 (mean 30 +/- 18) years old. Asked about the causes of leprosy, 27.8% knew that the disease was caused by microbes, 33.4% did not know the cause, 17.4% thought the disease to be hereditary and 7.6% due to ill luck. Attitudes to lepers depended on the type of behavior considered. Thus, interactions that did not involve physical contact were generally welcomed (94%), whereas physical contact was shunned: only 45% would tolerate it. Intimacy was rejected by almost all subjects. Analysis of the opinion of leprosy victim-oriented social projects indicated that most subjects showed humanitarian concern for lepers, but preferred public to individual support. The study group did not want to be individually or personally committed to any form of special support for leprosy victims, but clearly saw the need and justification for public concern for these patients.

Les determinants culturels et psychosociaux des comportements predisposant la femme camerounaise a l'infection a VIH

Les auteurs presentent une partie des resultats de deux enquetes longitudinales realisees en fevrier 1993 dans les villes de Nkongsamba et d'Edea. La population parente etait constituee des personnes de sexe feminin agees de 15 a 49 ans. Les resultats relatifs au comportement sexuel; indiquent que autant a Nkongsamba qu'a Edea; les femmes sont assez impregnees de l'information sur l'existence du SIDA (97 pour cent; 99 pour cent). Dans les deux milieux; le premier rapport sexuel de la femme intervient en moyenne a 16 ans; et la premiere utilisation du condom a 20 ans. A Edea; les cas de rapports sexuels a risque par vagabondage prostitutionnel interviennent des 18 ans et concernent 14 pour cent des femmes; contre 20 ans et 6 pour cent seulement a Nkongsamba